The present invention relates to lawn rakes and, more particularly, to improvement in rakes of the hand broom type having resilient tines and is useful for raking leaves, grass clippings, twigs, and the like. Specifically, the invention is directed to an improved heavy duty lawn rake having increased strength and rigidity and enhanced containment of tines within the rake head assembly.
There are a variety of lawn rakes available in the marketplace today. Rakes of this general type are well known in the art and are perhaps best exemplified by the patent to Dorman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,577, and the patent to Godshall et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,486. The present inventive rake, however, provides an implement which overcomes disadvantages commonly associated with rakes of the type disclosed in these patents.
Specifically, an objective of the Dorman disclosure is to provide a rake wherein the resilient tines are more readily removable and replaceable. The resilient tines of the present invention are anchored both within the spreader bar and the socket, namely, the tines are affixed within the assembly and not placed for ready removal and replacement. While Dorman discusses a spreader bar locking rod, the rod merely maintains the tines in spaced relationship but does not lock the tines within the spreader bar itself. Thus, should a tine become dislocated at the rake socket, it could be pulled through to the spreader bar thus rendering the rake partially inoperative. Conversely, the tines of the present invention cannot be pulled through the spreader bar since they are trapped between the spreader bar walls. Additionally, the tines are secured within the socket by, at a minimum, socket crimping or by providing a spring clip which coacts with the spreader bar through a stiffener spring to rigidly locate the tines and, for that matter, the entire rake head assembly.
The Godshall et al disclosure, while also providing a tine spacer bar, likewise does not lock the tines within the spacer bar. Godshall, like Dorman, also speaks of the tines being locked to the spacer by a rod but upon reviewing the patent drawings it becomes clear that the rod of Godshall functions as the rod of Dorman, namely, to maintain the tines in spaced relationship only. Thus the rakes of both Godshall and Dorman share similar deficiencies, namely, having tines which may be more readily dislodged than tines of the present inventive rake. Of further interest is the assertion in Godshall that the disclosed rake is advantageous because it has substantially fewer parts and is more rapidly assembled than is the rake disclosed in Dorman. Both the rake of Godshall and the rake of Dorman have a greater number of component parts than does the instant rake. Specifically, the Godshall product has 10 components, the Dorman product has 12 components, but the present rake has a maximum of only 8 components, which maximum reduces to 7 if the socket rivet is eliminated, to 6 if a one piece clip is utilized, and to 4 should the stiffener spring and spring clip be removed to provide a rake in its simplest form. Thus, the present device has fewer parts and can be more rapidly assembled resulting in a rake more cost efficient to manufacture while providing a rake of increased strength and durability.
In summary, the present inventive rake provides many advantages over existing art rakes wherein the present rake incorporates a spreader bar which separates the tines, reinforces the tines via a stiffener spring and increases rake strength by tying the tines together in a unit as well as providing individual tine retention by detenting. Additional unit strength is gained through use of an improved spring clip for anchoring the tines at the non-working end. Longitudinal movement of spring clip and stiffener spring may be restricted by use of a rear tab included as part of the spring clip which engages a groove staked in the socket. Maintaining clip location by locking the clip wrapped about the socket substantially strengthens the socket which holds the tines in place with a positive lanced stake to keep the socket from being forced open during heavy use or handle overdrive during handle installation. A rivet or the like may be included rewardly of the spring clip location to provide increased assurance against harmful socket separation and tine dislocation while additionally providing a positive handle stop to prevent handle installation overdrive.